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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#32: This Magic Moment

Last week, we challenged you to write stories about life's ordinary moments. This week, we're thinking along the same lines... but with a twist. And that twist is: magical realism.

Magical realism is a literary style that weaves threads of fantasy into depictions of everyday life. For instance, a story might be about someone sitting on their couch and channel-surfing — that's the "realism." Then they might walk up to their TV and step right through it like a portal into a fantasy land. That's the "magical."

An important distinction of magical realism is that it doesn't explain the fantastical elements or occurrences. The magic that's woven into the story just is: a character turning off the rain with the snap of a finger is as commonplace as another character opening an umbrella.We hope you enjoy the prompts — and if you're looking for a more in-depth explanation of magical realism, as well as some of the genres best reads, check out this blog post!

This week's prompts

Write about someone who works an average job — but incorporate elements of magic into it.

Fantasy – 76 stories

Write about a person who meets with the ghost of an old friend for tea every so often.

Fantasy – 111 stories

Write about two people in a relationship. One of them has special powers, the other does not.

Fantasy – 77 stories

Write a story that includes characters who are aware they are a work of fiction.

Fantasy – 74 stories

Write a story about someone who can pause time or re-live old memories at will.

High School – 65 stories

Stories

“Myths of Duko...” by Hinaata Aslam Aslam

Submitted to Contest #32

My name is Esam and I live in “Duko” a village in Ghana..Today I’m telling you all the unbelievable and eye opening experience of my life.. I work as a farmer with my Dad as every other Duko villager does but two years ago I just felt unlike them, I felt myself the most hopeless person of this world.. Why So..?? Because as my name has the meaning of “safeguard” , I had a dream to save this world from evil powers since my childhood but I never got any chance to make my dream come true, I was getting old day by day and thinking to give up...

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“Pause. Play.” by Trinity Grau

Submitted to Contest #32

Court rooms are too air-conditioned. pause. He shrugs on a heavier court, settling in behind the lawyer who wears too much perfume and has dyed her hair a shade of blonde that prostitutes would be ashamed of. play. "Your Honor, if it please the court, I move to adjourn until 1:00.” pause. Is she crying? Is that a tear in her solemn, stony face? He wonders if she will notice or if she will pretend like it does not exist. play. Men and women rise, bowing their heads as they wait for His Honor to leave the courtroom. He shuffles with a slow ach...

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“Shopping Spree” by Catherine Northrup

Submitted to Contest #32

Vale was bustling as the morning market opened and merchants began hawking their wares. Sunlight gleamed off of finely gilt chalices and other vessels at a goldsmith’s stall. Farmers set out fresh produce across the way from the shoemaker arranging an appealing display. Next to the shoemaker a tailor draped woven fabrics for perusal. Down a nearby street just off the market square, the scent of fresh baked bread and sizzling meats filled the air. Strolling along with the morning crowd of shoppers, Altan was getting his ear talked off, all th...

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“Shoes Forgotten” by Amanda Mitchum

Submitted to Contest #32

Steven flicked his hand and the scene around him started to change. It was a slow movement at first - the sun returned to its peak in the east, all was dark, and then the moon rose from the west. It sped up, and soon, the moon was gone and the sun rose in the west. Time was moving backwards as the sun and moon did their dance so fast that they blurred into a straight line across the sky. Light dimmed and brightened in turn as the grass underneath him changed into gleaming white sand. And then, as quickly as the unnatural movem...

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“The Memobrarian” by Lunyzbreid L

Submitted to Contest #32

"Hi, sir. How can I help you?""I need to recover information from the memory of my late grandmother to cover a hole in my investigation.""What is the date of her disappearance?""She left us on the tenth of January, 2135.""Ok, we should have her memories as the Memory-Catchers have stored them since 2042. Would you like to check this here or at home?""I can do it here. Hopefully, I've gotten all the right clues to access the memory I need. How long would it take for you to access it?""At least two hours. This is not an exact science."While th...

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“Dream Love Time Curse ” by Jean Branson

Submitted to Contest #32

Dream Love Time CurseThe moon shone brightly, my face heating up. The stars were out and it was Halloween. My inner Witch was flowing strong everything in her wanted this person. My mind was made up, I was going to ask her. On the morrow, the sun shines brightly, my energy flowing through my body. I hurried to her house, her face in my mind. Sure I was mostly just going to get a 'thank you', but I didn't care. I had arrived and knocked on her door or rather to her as she was already waiting for me outside. She ran to me as I ran to her.&nbsp...

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“Never forgotten” by Kim Owens

Submitted to Contest #32

"Hey, you ladies need anything?" The young man paused at his words. He immediately felt like the young women would not take kindly to his offer and he recanted his words. "I mean I can get it for you if you'd like." The young women turned around and looked incredulously at him. The one to the right was the one he had eyed for the last 20 minutes in his car. Of course, he would not tell her that. She was gorgeous. Her small dark brown afro, glasses and braces are what caught him. He was just sitting in his ...

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“His Eyes” by Scarlett Ambrosa

Submitted to Contest #32

I'm staring into the cold, blue sky and it meets my gaze with nothing but a gust of wind. I glance around the sand and the surrounding trees, all beckoning to the call of the ocean. The beach hardly has any people during this time of the year, but I quite like the frigidness that this place has to offer. It's quiet. Serene. It helps me clear my thoughts and find a way to relax; to step away from the ongoing battle that rages in my head. I turn around and look at the icy waters. That blue shade. It looks exactly like his eyes. His eyes. Those...

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“You Can't Change the Future” by Izzy Slone

Submitted to Contest #32

I sighed. This wasn't going to be easy. They always asked, there was nothing I could do to stop it. So I had to come up with something on the spot, or else tell them the truth. Which, obviously, I couldn't do. "I have a photographic memory. Really." I said, half-closing my eyes. "But you weren't even there, Kaleb. How do you know about that time?" She asked. "I saw it happen as I was walking by. Trust me, I remember." She furrowed her brow. "Seriously? You remember seeing me buy flowers for Jane fourteen years ago? How is that even possi...

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“Snow and Oranges ” by Skye Bailey

Submitted to Contest #32

Regen Janson awoke with a start and sat up in bed. She blinked hard, then wiped the snow from the corners of her eyes. Looking to the dusty, pink moomin alarm clock next to her bed, the same one she'd had since she was seven years old, she saw that it was 03:00 am on the dot. She lay back down on her back and stared up at the ceiling. Her pillow was wet and cold but instead of moving away she waited for the snow to fade away like it usually did. She stayed still for a minute, then two, before she sat up again. She pulled the pillow onto her ...

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“The Present Past” by Lily Trandahl

Submitted to Contest #32

I don’t know what’s going on anymore. One second, I was living in the present, cooking dinner. The next, I was a kid again, experiencing all of the times I didn’t know were good ones. I was having water balloon fights with the neighborhood kids, shooting toy guns. Riding my bike down my street with my best friend, wet from swimming all day long. Then I had to go back into this adult reality of cooking for myself and watching television until I fell asleep on the beaten up La-Z-Boy recliner. This is not what I wanted to do with my life. I am ...

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“Reaper Association” by Flynn Oakley

Submitted to Contest #32

This world is broken. Nobody can fix that let's just get this fact down. It will always stay the same, but I will try my best to help as much as I can, even if it seems like it's not a lot. Anything anyone does to try, will make a big difference.I will use my powers for the good of the world. Most people don't think of me as human, but I'm as human as anyone else.Walking down the road I took note of all of my surroundings. The streets were cracked and grass grew between the cracks every now and then. The windows of the buildings had all been...

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“Memory” by Jared Murphy

Submitted to Contest #32

Memory was my Gift. We all had one— gifts, I mean, but mine was on the rarer side. As far as I knew, I was the only person in the whole world who had it. It made me feel special, and needed, but in the end I had grown to hate it. You see, when my parents found out what my Gift was, they had hatched a plan to make it suit their own goal, and it turned out their goal was money. So they spent what little savings they had on a tiny little building on Main Street, and set up shop. “Marie’s Memory shoppe,” they said, tricking my naive little ...

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“When dreams are vivid, and real.” by Chloe Lim

Submitted to Contest #32

"If you really want to hear about it, I dreamt I was with her... again. I lay my head on the pillow and closed my eyes, and suddenly she was right before me. It was our first date. She wore a pink blouse and blue skinny jeans. I could always remember what clothes she wore, so this wasn't new to me. But when I saw her last night, she was wearing a bracelet. I never remembered that. I had been with her for 5 years and I never remember her wearing any bracelets during that time.""Yeah but... this is just a dream, right?" Mike, my colleague, int...

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“Visiting” by Max McKercher

Submitted to Contest #32

Giana looked across at the playground, at the kids happily playing in the playground across from where she was seated. The world beginning to spring to life with them. A group of older boys were at the tire swing that was on the tall oak tree on the far side of the grounds, going buck wild seeing who could spin the fastest without falling out. A few girls were at the unreasonably long monkey bars, seeing who could get the farthest. The slide was always her favorite though. It was tall and wide and the first thing Giana always went to when sh...

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$50

Prize money

403

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Mar 13, 2020 EST

Won by Thiago Loriggio 🏆

Title: The Tragedy of the Trainee

Submissions must be between 1,000 - 3,000 words and will be approved and published on Reedsy Prompts within 7 days of the contest closing.

Read the full terms & conditions or check out the FAQ if you have any questions!

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